Charles Scores One For the Home Team

Levy said the region was not prepared to pay for a facility or support a team. The county had urgent needs for more roads and schools, he said, not luxury amenities. Middleton agreed, saying the county was struggling to provide such basic services as sewers and paved roads.

But when Hodge proposed creating a team four years ago, both Levy and Middleton became vocal supporters, successfully lobbying their legislative colleagues to fund one-third of the cost.

"Building a stadium in Charles County in the '80s would have been the tail wagging the dog; it just wasn't what we needed to focus on," Levy said. "The difference between then and now is night and day, and now I think it's a wonderful thing for the county."

Some of the difference may have been sparked by the success of the Woodbridge team, as well as four franchises that opened in Maryland: Bowie, Frederick, Salisbury and Aberdeen.

Neighboring Prince George's seized the opportunity posed by Charles's near-miss to lure the Orioles' AA affiliate to Bowie and created a shopping and dining district along Crain Highway surrounding the stadium. The area now has high-end townhouses, chain restaurants such as Chili's and Carrabba's Italian Grill and a major shopping center with a Borders and Target.

"One thing a business is going to look at before moving to a community is the quality-of-life offerings in the community to make it attractive to the employee base, and minor league ball is definitely one of those elements," said Jason Grant, a spokesman for the economic development office in Prince William.

Tax revenue in Bowie has increased, Mayor G. Frederick Robinson said. But the biggest benefit has been less tangible: increased recognition and prestige among state officials.

The Frederick Keys have not generated the same type of development, but officials in that city are beginning to explore ways to add more restaurants and shops. What the team has brought, said Mayor William J. Holtzinger, is an easy answer to the question of what to do on weekends.

Charles is the fastest-growing Maryland county in the region and has one of the 20 highest per-capita incomes in the country at $80,179, but elected officials often feel undervalued by state leaders. Some felt snubbed when Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) did not appoint a Southern Maryland resident to his Cabinet. The team could raise their profile.

"We needed a focal point for our community life, and the moment was right for the county and the region to express our self-confidence, pride and optimism," Hodge said.

And as for the nearly quarter-century it took to reach the right moment?

"Baseball is that one sport without a clock, so we don't think of this process as too slow," Kirk said. "It was just a 23-inning ballgame."